Mobile data specials: why aren't they made permanent?

[jes]

Mobile data specials – why not permanent?

Vodacom, MTN, Telkom Mobile, and Cell C data promotions have been running for months, raising the question of why these prices are not made permanent

 

[BuckRogers]

But why is the Vodacom promotional bundles only valid for 30 days from purchase date?

 

[Randux]

Really now?

 

[grim]

I've said this many times before, promotional pricing is to avoid having to go through IKAKA...

 

[blunt]

it's also a super convenient way of locking people in and when all the promo fuss dies down, go back to ripping them off.

 

[HideInLight]

I've said this many times before, promotional pricing is to avoid having to go through IKAKA...

Even the cell companies have mentioned it multiple times.

 

[VegOtter]

its rather easy. because money money money and politics. if they had an ounce of dignity they would bite the bullet and fix their political and greedy mess.

 

[FuLL_MeT4L]

I'd always wondered about this. Kudos for the useful and informative article myBB!

 

[Cellucity]

I've said this many times before, promotional pricing is to avoid having to go through IKAKA...

100% if you want to make the promotion permanent, it has to be lodged with ICASA as a tariff, and to get the tariff approved can take along time done by them. So the networks just run promotions to avoid the hassle

 

[km2]

Or it could just be that the mobile networks don't want to see data pricing commoditised, and getting into a direct price battle ends up with everyones profit margins disappearing. Much nicer to run promotions where you can continue to keep your ARPU up over a decent chunk of your market who aren't price sensitive and aren't going to do the research, but the promotions can keep people who care from switching.

 

[murray654]

Icasa is just another layer of bureaucracy. We'd be better off without it. In this case they prevent the market from functioning.

 

[falcon786]

Or it could just be that the mobile networks don't want to see data pricing commoditised, and getting into a direct price battle ends up with everyones profit margins disappearing. Much nicer to run promotions where you can continue to keep your ARPU up over a decent chunk of your market who aren't price sensitive and aren't going to do the research, but the promotions can keep people who care from switching.

This is the best answer yet,ICASA isn't to blame for this as the article suggests.

Its all about not leaching price sensitive consumers while continuing to make as much as possible from the rest.

 

[rrcatto]

it's also a super convenient way of locking people in and when all the promo fuss dies down, go back to ripping them off.

When all teh fuss dies down? We are here to make sure that teh fuss never dies down. People are here at this site, reading these articles, posting in these forums on a daily basis, because we're tired of being taken advantage of.

No, teh fuss is not dying down. Not now, not until we get and enjoy the best telecommunications network and prices ever.

We will not stop teh fuss!

 

[rrcatto]

100% if you want to make the promotion permanent, it has to be lodged with ICASA as a tariff, and to get the tariff approved can take along time done by them. So the networks just run promotions to avoid the hassle

How about we just vote ICASA off the island? They seem more trouble than they are worth... what value, if any, do they bring to the table? Or are they just another bunch of people we pay salaries to for doing zip, zero, nada?

 

[rrcatto]

100% if you want to make the promotion permanent, it has to be lodged with ICASA as a tariff, and to get the tariff approved can take along time done by them. So the networks just run promotions to avoid the hassle

How about we just vote ICASA off the island? They seem more trouble than they are worth... what value, if any, do they bring to the table? Or are they just another bunch of people we pay salaries to for doing zip, zero, nada?

 

[rrcatto]

But why is the Vodacom promotional bundles only valid for 30 days from purchase date?

ditto for Cell C. I don't agree with expiration dates on airtime or bundles. But if they must include them, give people at minimum 12 months to use them.

 

[Chevron]

Or it could just be that the mobile networks don't want to see data pricing commoditised, and getting into a direct price battle ends up with everyones profit margins disappearing. Much nicer to run promotions where you can continue to keep your ARPU up over a decent chunk of your market who aren't price sensitive and aren't going to do the research, but the promotions can keep people who care from switching.

This.